Why people dislike modern Sesame Street

I dunno... I remember Bloopy's Buddies (a PERFECT waste of the great Johnathan Winters's talent) and Dudley the Dragon... at least with Dudley, the suit looked like it took a measurable effort... everything else I can't even remember because it left so little of an impression.

There's also Dooley and Pals (A "Children's Ministry" version with shoehorned in bible lessons at the end currently airs on some Christian digital subchannel) and The Reppies (another Christian-turned-secular show).

Honestly, given the choice between watching an episode of that purple prehistoric nightmare and test patterns...there's no contest. I'd much rather watch the test patterns.

For those who haven't seen it, Caroll Spinney gives some excellent advice at the end of this clip. I think everyone young and old should follow it. It makes perfect sense for anyone with common sense. Just listen what he says on the stoop with Telly (while they're saying goodbye):

While I understand that kids shouldn't be talked down, there has got to be a bit of a limit at what Kids can learn, becaused I feel that some of the recent Sesame Street shows have subjects that are a bit too advance for the average kid to learn.

I mean is there a reson for a kide ot learn about the different Rocks in the world or even the types of Birds that you see around the street ?

Depends, they have an obligation to cater for all audiences I guess. As part of that I assumed that the gifted kid is given as much priority as a kid who isn't the smartest cookie in the jar, so a mix of content level is needed.

While I understand that kids shouldn't be talked down, there has got to be a bit of a limit at what Kids can learn, becaused I feel that some of the recent Sesame Street shows have subjects that are a bit too advance for the average kid to learn.

I mean is there a reson for a kide ot learn about the different Rocks in the world or even the types of Birds that you see around the street ?

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What bugs me about the new episodes is they FEEL they need to teach everything under the sun in the 50 minutes they have. Initiatives are rammed down kid's throats (nature and health were done the worst) and there's only slight asides about letters and numbers. Way I see it, Sesame Street has ALWAYS taught a wide array of subjects, but things varied from episode to episode. The thing I hate about the nature initiative is the constant repetitive "animals are different and yet the same" guessing game type episodes. They're repetitive... and when the game player is Elmo, the show is VERY dull... the bird watching episode this season especially.

I like how they're doing basic multiplication now, actually... and in such a subtle "counting by" way. But other than that, it's nice they want to talk about nature.. just don't make 90% of the episodes a season exactly the same with different subjects to teach things oddly specific things, especially when math and reading are just as, if not more, important.

More human and muppet interaction would be nice..and it would be nice to see the 'taking a trip with the human adults and children' story arcs return for this generation to .

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Maybe it's budgetary reasons, but I haven't seen them get out of the street and go to another location (real or fictitious) in years. Closest thing was a couple years ago when they went to Mother Goose's Nursery School or Kindergarten or whatever it was. And that really seemed like it was a set up for a series of episodes and nothing came out of it. Or that episode where Chris and Elmo went camping... even then, it was sitting in one area.

If only they did something that WASN'T a bunch of nature "This is this and that is that" or Guessing game plot lines and did something exciting outside of their little street.

True enough, I mean, we didn't even get to actually see the actual trip of Gina going to Guatemala to adopt Marco back in Season 37... of course then again, that entire season was a disappointment: they made all that hype about Abby being added to the Muppet cast, then she only appeared in 3 out of the 26 episodes, and one of those episodes, she basically just popped in and out, while the plot really had nothing to do with her.

I think the show needs to bring back the classic clips from way back in the 70s, 80s and maybe early 90s. I also think the street scenes need to be longer and at least last the whole hour. I do think Elmo's World needs to go, I used to watch it, not anymore! The show needs to make room for something else. I respect Kevin Clash as a performer, but I think he needs to expand a little bit more with other characters other than Elmo (I kinda have a love-hate thing with him. I don't like him, but I don't hate him)

Part of the reason is the format. Back when it was the commercial-like format, we could get around 30 inserts per show. Then, when they changed it up in the mid 2000's, we'd get around 16-ish. Now, we get around 10, and part of those are the long "shows" in each episode.

I think the show needs to bring back the classic clips from way back in the 70s, 80s and maybe early 90s. I also think the street scenes need to be longer and at least last the whole hour. I do think Elmo's World needs to go, I used to watch it, not anymore! The show needs to make room for something else. I respect Kevin Clash as a performer, but I think he needs to expand a little bit more with other characters other than Elmo (I kinda have a love-hate thing with him. I don't like him, but I don't hate him)

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The classic clips are GONE! Okay... we can see them online, in video compilations, basically everywhere but the show itself. They're basically everywhere, and SW has done it's darnedest to make fans happy outside of the show. Closest I can see are remakes of sketches, but that always angers everyone, even though, let's face it, they're still better than half the new stuff.

No, my beef is with the quality of the show itself. It wants to be there DESPERATELY, even the writers want to do something... it's just... it's like they can't. Like they're stifled. Either by the format, parental groups, some higher up, the fact that 90% of children's programming is like dumbed down on a curve or something... Somehow the format works for kids and it was the highest ratings they had for a while (Go fig), and kids get antsy when an Elmo's world that wasn't on a hundred billion times isn't on specifically at a certain time, like they're Rainman or something...

They painted themselves into a corner, and they need to sit in that corner to survive for some reason...

The classic clips are GONE! Okay... we can see them online, in video compilations, basically everywhere but the show itself. They're basically everywhere, and SW has done it's darnedest to make fans happy outside of the show.

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And it's because they insist on keeping those clips "outside of the show" that my children won't be watching the show.

The classic clips are GONE! Okay... we can see them online, in video compilations, basically everywhere but the show itself. They're basically everywhere, and SW has done it's darnedest to make fans happy outside of the show. Closest I can see are remakes of sketches, but that always angers everyone, even though, let's face it, they're still better than half the new stuff.

No, my beef is with the quality of the show itself. It wants to be there DESPERATELY, even the writers want to do something... it's just... it's like they can't. Like they're stifled. Either by the format, parental groups, some higher up, the fact that 90% of children's programming is like dumbed down on a curve or something... Somehow the format works for kids and it was the highest ratings they had for a while (Go fig), and kids get antsy when an Elmo's world that wasn't on a hundred billion times isn't on specifically at a certain time, like they're Rainman or something...

They painted themselves into a corner, and they need to sit in that corner to survive for some reason...

Part of the reason is the format. Back when it was the commercial-like format, we could get around 30 inserts per show. Then, when they changed it up in the mid 2000's, we'd get around 16-ish. Now, we get around 10, and part of those are the long "shows" in each episode.

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You see! That's why we can't have nice things.

Seriously, that's why we lack the classic skits. There's literally NO WHERE to put them. Maybe the letter/number stuff, but I couldn't see them bringing any of that back. Seems like only 6 or so years ago, we had skits dating back as far as the 70's mingling with Journey to Ernie and the Count's pipe organ. Now, the only stuff that goes in is stuff from the 90's... but you gotta figure, some of that stuff is almost 20 years old!

Elmo's Backyard is a better segment because he INTERACTS! He talks to the tree, he talks to a squirrel, he talks to a bug. Not an imaginary audience.

I know certain things are the way they are and will never change back, but I have to admit, even I am a little fed up with Sesame Street trying to clone Nick Jr. I mean, Nick Jr. shows (more current ones, anyway) SUUUUUUUCK! They suck so bad... except maybe Yo gabba Gabba and Wow Wow Wubzy... but Dora and Blue ruined kid's television.

This may or may not have to do with the discussion, but I think i may have come to a conclusion for another reason people dislike modern SST... the street itself... it's so "busy" anymore.

I mean, let's look at this historically: in the old days, what did the street consist of? Two main structures (123, and the tenement building), and a secondary structure (the carriage house). That's it... yes, there were locations: Gordon and Susan's apartment, Hooper's Store, the Fix-it-Shop, Oscar's can, Big Bird's nest, Ernie and Bert's place, etc, but the street had a small number of these locales and a small number of structures where you could basically easily find where everything was at, aside from those three structures, everything else was basically painted backdrops.

Now, there's NUMEROUS secondary structures and locations have made up the street: Elmo's apartment, a community garden with additional back-window apartments surrounding it, the subway, the aging abandoned Furry Arms and Finder's Keepers cobbled together nto a dead-end alley around Big Bird's nest, a flower shop, etc... it's hard to keep up with all of this locations and such for people who were only accustomed to being familiar with Fix-it-Shop, Hooper's, and 123.

This may or may not have to do with the discussion, but I think i may have come to a conclusion for another reason people dislike modern SST... the street itself... it's so "busy" anymore.

I mean, let's look at this historically: in the old days, what did the street consist of? Two main structures (123, and the tenement building), and a secondary structure (the carriage house). That's it... yes, there were locations: Gordon and Susan's apartment, Hooper's Store, the Fix-it-Shop, Oscar's can, Big Bird's nest, Ernie and Bert's place, etc, but the street had a small number of these locales and a small number of structures where you could basically easily find where everything was at, aside from those three structures, everything else was basically painted backdrops.

Now, there's NUMEROUS secondary structures and locations have made up the street: Elmo's apartment, a community garden with additional back-window apartments surrounding it, the subway, the aging abandoned Furry Arms and Finder's Keepers cobbled together nto a dead-end alley around Big Bird's nest, a flower shop, etc... it's hard to keep up with all of this locations and such for people who were only accustomed to being familiar with Fix-it-Shop, Hooper's, and 123.

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I agree with you that I think it seems too busy, but not in the same way. I think it seems busy in that there's no underlying connection anymore so things just seem to come and go. The older Sesame street always seemed to have a main story point with the smaller clips showing up in the middle. This way, everything stayed connected but things changed enough to hold your attention. Now, it seems that even if there is an over all theme, they'll do something and then immediately move on to something else and never go back. It seems to give it kind of a disjointed feel in my opinion.